"Tip-In" and "Initial Acceleration" problems fixed

just picked up my car yesterday and it has been driving me crazy about this issue. test drive was fine, but it starts to get worse everytime. It's not just from stop and go, but everytime you need to accelerate from a low speed........need to figure out either on how to drive it to over come it or read more post here to see if there is a ture fix or not.

My brother drove mine today ( he had E60 Dinan sage 2 ) and his comment is it's just a heavy car.....far way from E60 regarding of handling....may need more power to push it through.......

Originally Posted by ccgp

just picked up my car yesterday and it has been driving me crazy about this issue. test drive was fine, but it starts to get worse everytime. It's not just from stop and go, but everytime you need to accelerate from a low speed........need to figure out either on how to drive it to over come it or read more post here to see if there is a ture fix or not.

My brother drove mine today ( he had E60 Dinan sage 2 ) and his comment is it's just a heavy car.....far way from E60 regarding of handling....may need more power to push it through.......

CCGP....i can definitly say that there is a fix for it, many of us in this thread has had their car completly fixed and behaving like a totally different car..

the issue is that we are not sure which "fix" is actually correcting the issues....my initial "tip in" was about 90% corrected with the SIB 12 09 11 patch...i then had an "engine temp sensor" replaced along with new software (cannot idenity what version) and this latest fix has turned the car into a perfect car...

what we know is this..SIB 12 09 11 seems to completly fix a few of the members here and while others it doesnt do anything...

i believe i am on the only one so far that has posted about having their "engine temp sensor" replaced...so we dont know if that is the culprit or not..

finally, there seems to be new software that some are referring to (my SA told me they flashed mine to the latest when I had the sensor replaced but cannot find that recorded anywhere)

so in the end we really dont know, the SIB fixes some, engine sensor could be a possibility and then there is this "new" update that we cannot verify....

yea i know that doesnt help, but at least wanted you to have some info around it

I can not believe that even after 252 posts as recent as TODAY people are still experiencing this problem and no one knows for sure what s/w rev and/or engine temp sensor actually fixes it! I would have hoped that recent builds would have the latest s/w and h/w and this would have been a long gone issue. Yet, ccgp reports that he just picked up his car yesterday and the problem exists. Oy vay.

Originally Posted by ccgp

just picked up my car yesterday and it has been driving me crazy about this issue. test drive was fine, but it starts to get worse everytime. It's not just from stop and go, but everytime you need to accelerate from a low speed........need to figure out either on how to drive it to over come it or read more post here to see if there is a ture fix or not.

My brother drove mine today ( he had E60 Dinan sage 2 ) and his comment is it's just a heavy car.....far way from E60 regarding of handling....may need more power to push it through.......

What is your build date? Am seriously thinking of opting out of my ordered car and delaying this a year.

If those who have cars on order end up backing out of buying the car when it comes in, then dealers are going to be irritated and PERHAPS they might finally jump on the bandwagon in complaining to BMW NA. Of course, they also just might apply the update and sell it to someone else. Still, they lost a customer for the time being and I cannot imagine them being okay with that.

Several days now since my s/w update and all is still good.

For reference, my car is a September build 535 with x-Drive, non-sport and non-SAT.

The following information was on my workorder. However, I think this data describes the state/version of the car before the tech test drove the car to duplicate the problem, and does NOT describe the fix. Read all the way down for more.

SIB 12 09 11
00-00-556(2) 61-00-730(4) 10-42-03-71-00DL

Here are the changes since the update: 1. Hesitation gone at all speeds and no more feeling like the brake hold feature is activated starting from a dead stop 2. Marginally quicker gear changes (up and down) 3. Minor enhancements to I-drive menu items in main menu. 4. Brighter and distinctly "amber" blind spot triangles (my wife thinks I'm crazy -- says they have always been that way) 5. Startup (warm/cold) RPMs oscillate between 800-1200 for 15 seconds or so. I don't like this characteristic, but I believe it was most likely engineered intentionally to induce faster warm-up and reduce emissions.

Another discovery: if you press and hold the trip mileage reset button on the IP for 15-20 seconds, it will give you a menu with four choices, the first is "01 Identification" This menu is in a very small shaded font, and there is line after line of information (screen after screen you have to toggle thru with the button) that is meaningless to me, but I believe identifies every characteristic of the car. It will be very difficult for me to photograph this, except at night -- IP lighting on, and hoping I have the right focus. Other menu items include "02 System test", "03 Test end" and "04 Unlock", but I wasn't going any further with any of this! The car must be running, not just powered up with electrical, and the only way to exit the menu is to shut the car off. This is interesting but somewhat useless unless you have reference points: (1) do all these #s mean what we think they mean, i.e are they software versions? If so, there are a lot of them, and what systems or subsystems specifically do they relate to? (2) do cars with different optional equipment or performance packages have different software versions -- some shared and some not? Well, useful or not. Here is what I found under "identification":

SWFL 1 08 00 00 07 65 01 1A 00
SWFL 2 08 00 00 07 66 01 1A 00
SWFL 3 08 00 00 03 C3 04 15 01
SWFL 4 08 00 00 07 69 01 08 08
SWFL 5 08 00 00 12 AA 01 03 00
SWFL 6 07 00 00 07 64 01 00 30
Following are these, as part of the "identification" menu, with similar numbers that I won't replicate here.

HWT1
HWY2
VIN
HW index
Manufact.
Company
STDcore
Conv. Index
Hardware
BTLD

I don't know I'd any of this will help at all, nor do I have a sense if one week from today, the car's behavior will remain good. Good luck!

Now the agonizing wait continues for my wife's new Volvo XC60 T6 that is still on a truck somewhere after a full week enroute from port in Baltimore. Another new car to learn!

Originally Posted by 535Stu

What is your build date? Am seriously thinking of opting out of my ordered car and delaying this a year.

July 2011

Originally Posted by ccgp

July 2011

Wow. I have some thinking to do.

just received an e-mail from my dealer as I sent a complain to the sales that BMW did have this listed on the Service Bullet and ask me to bring the car back to run SW diagnose to fix this issue.

I really hope it will fix the problem as it's really hard for people who paid and expected this much out from the 5s......I wait for 2+ month for the delivery....

This is not fun as my wife also felt this and to have a sudden acceleration is not safe.

At the same time, I am also happy to see there are people did not have any issue on their car which was my original expectation.

Originally Posted by ccgp

just received an e-mail from my dealer as I sent a complain to the sales that BMW did have this listed on the Service Bullet and ask me to bring the car back to run SW diagnose to fix this issue.

I really hope it will fix the problem as it's really hard for people who paid and expected this much out from the 5s......I wait for 2+ month for the delivery....

This is not fun as my wife also felt this and to have a sudden acceleration is not safe.

At the same time, I am also happy to see there are people did not have any issue on their car which was my original expectation.

any update to your fix?

they checked all SW and it's up to day. They have confirmed the issue.....sad....and want me to go back to do another SW check as there is no loaner car available. I do believe this is may due to how it programmed to shift between gears.....maybe too fast between 1st and 2nd that actually created the gap. who knows.

by the way, I forgot to tell them don't wash my car and I was super mad when I saw it all got messed up.....took 2 hrs at home to clean it up......

Originally Posted by ccgp

by the way, I forgot to tell them don't wash my car and I was super mad when I saw it all got messed up.....took 2 hrs at home to clean it up......

It's not enough to tell them. I also write NO WASH on three pieces of painters tape and place on the upper windsheild, driver side window and steering wheel aribag cover.

The software fix I had done 4 weeks ago complete fixed my 535i. . I also had a new map update. So it is hard to tell what changed from the software fix and the map update but several things are different in the iDrive. I not only had them wash my car but detail it while it was in. They did a first class job.

My friend who picked up his July build 2011 535xi last night says he does not sense any such hesitation problems. His does not have either sport package nor the sport auto transmission. Once I get a chance to drive it I will report back.

I have an appointment with my dealer and the regional BMW rep. next week on the 8th for my hesitation issue with my 528i. I will post the outcome after the meeting, which I am sure will be of interest to those with the 528, as currently there is no TSB from BMW to address this problem.
I'm not holding my breath in regards to any fix, though.

My update has worked for approximately 3-4 weeks. As previously posted on this thread, it introduced an annoying rpm "lunging" at warm start up for 20 seconds or so, BUT THE TIP-IN PROBLEM IS RESOLVED AND TESTED EVERY WHICH WAY!. It takes off like a wounded dog from (1) dead stop (2) rolling stop <10 mph (3) decelerate/accelerate at any speed under 50 and above 50 (4) under abrupt transition from reverse to drive or DS and immediately hammering the gas. I've tried to trick it numerous times, and it does not behave like it used to. This particular software update is flawed, but it does fix the tip-in issue. The problem is, too many SAs are lazy and not customer advocates.

Originally Posted by kcmoore11

My friend who picked up his July build 2011 535xi last night says he does not sense any such hesitation problems. His does not have either sport package nor the sport auto transmission. Once I get a chance to drive it I will report back.

I just drove it (BTW, it is an August, not July, build). It has the hesitation. He just did not realize it. He is taking it to the local NH dealer to inquire about the SW update.

I believe my 535ix has it too. I very much wanted to believe it didn't being a July 27 build; but I felt it. Then my daughter drove it for the first time. She pulled out crossing traffic with what should have been plenty of space/time & we froze in oncoming traffic for a second. It was close; and luckily no accident. She said, "I pushed on the accelerator and it paused."

Can anyone say DEFINITIVELY the number of the software patch / update that fixes this problem? How could we not have the latest software being August builds??

Harumph...

they called me back today asking to keep the car overnight, so they can collect enough data to send to BMW engineer. they do not know what to do as my car has the latest SW.

My cowoker just brought a new X5 and complained about this issue also. He is waiting to see what dealer will do to fix my problem, and I told him to have dealer to check asap.

hope BMW engineer will provide a solution, so I can start to enjoy this beautiful car rather than only 80% of it.

I've been following this thread closely as a new 528i owner. I did experience the dreaded "no response then lurch" issue, but it magically disappeared after around 900 miles. I live in a crowded city (Taipei) with slow stop-and-go traffic, I don't know if it makes any difference. I do know that I DID feel the transimission learning my (slow) driving habits while it improved and eventually responded properly. So in my case it was as some people have suggested, a transmission learning curve.

My experience probably doesn't help those who have more mileage and still have issues, but I just want to share it and maybe it might help.

Mine is a May build.

Has anyone ever recorded and posted a video of tip-in / jerky shifts, etc? I'm curious what it looks/sounds like.

Originally Posted by planet

Has anyone ever recorded and posted a video of tip-in / jerky shifts, etc? I'm curious what it looks/sounds like.

The best description I have seen so far is on this thread:
Post#95

Originally Posted by Needsdecaf
It's not the engine's response I am worried about. It's the ability to drive smoothly. I cannot, and neither can my wife, get this car to pull away from either a dead stop or a slight rolling stop smoothly and with consistent speed, more than 20% of the time. You have three options normally for takeoff in this car: you have to feather the throttle and creep away like a cat burglar; tromp on it and leave like Don Garlits; or use normal throttle input, have nothing happen for 2 seconds, and then feel like a garbage truck just rear ended you. Every once in a while, or immediately after the throttle reprogramming trick, it's possible to pull away smoothly. If this car was being used for a limo service, the driver would have no repeat customers. If your kids take their driver's exam in this car, they'll fail. It really is that bad.

Originally Posted by planet

Has anyone ever recorded and posted a video of tip-in / jerky shifts, etc? I'm curious what it looks/sounds like.

you can feel it by driving or sitting in my car since you are in San Jose. I did not update my status as the dealer said everythig is ok, and drive till 15000 miles, let the car used to your style, and if it's still the issue, come back again. I saw couple posts here that it actualy does go away for them. It is crazy.....after you put so much love in it.......think about when you start from a road entry, and the car won't go after you find a gap to do it ( it means your timing is off on making the entry to the cross street, and the car on the cross road is much closer to you then you expected ) or stuck at making a U turn.....
today is my worst day as every stop and go, it did that to me.........if no other choice, I guess I have to wait for couple yesars to get 15000 as my house to my work place is less than 6 miles round trip......

you should be getting your car soon or you already got it....hope it won't do this to you....good luck

Great info in this thread.

Will now delay my wife's 550xi purchase (or steer it elsewhere)... way, way, way too much money to be dealing with this type of 'issue'.

Thanks all.

Originally Posted by HIRISC

Great info in this thread.

Will now delay my wife's 550xi purchase (or steer it elsewhere)... way, way, way too much money to be dealing with this type of 'issue'.

Thanks all.

550i's don't suffer from this, so you should be ok.